Racing game apparatus



Aug. 12, A 5 L M Y.

RACING GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 17, 1940; 3 She'ets-Shet l fiveizz ar'.

Aug 12, 1941. A. 5. LE MAY RACING GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 17, i940 aSheets-Sheet 2 fivenior.

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A. B. LE MAY RACING GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 17,

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Patented Aug. 12, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RACING GAME APPARATUSAlan B. Le May, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Application August 17, 1940, Serial No. 353,140

pivot I of the base member. Preferably the cover 9 Claims.

This invention relates to game apparatus which can be used by two ormore players to simulate a contest, and particularly a racing contest.

The primary object of the invention is to provide apparatus wherein theplayers may adjust certain cards and then rotate other cards to simulatea race, for example, and provide each player an equal chance of winning.

For the purposes of illustration, the apparatus has been worked out as ahorse race, wherein six paths, colored to represent different horses,have been provided on a disk having twelve different positions. Anothersuperposed card having six different slots, representing various trackconditions, is provided so that in playing the game over 400 differentcombinations are possible. Obviously, in providing more settings andslots a much larger number will be provided.

The invention is illustrated in the preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawings, in which: 7

Figure 1 is ,a plan view of game apparatus embodying the invention;Figure 2 is a sectional view, taken as indicated at line 2 of Figure 1;Figure 3 is a plan View of the progress, or track card, taken as,indicated at line 3 of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a plan view of thecircuit disk, or horse disk, taken as indicated at line 4 of In theembodiment illustrated, a base member 5 is provided, and preferably isof square shape and made of a thin panel of wood, metal or cardboard. Acircuit card 6 is pivotally mounted on the base 5 by means of a pivotmember "I. On the upper face of the circuit card is a group of loops 8which are disposed around the pivot I and cross and re-cross each otherin a carefully designed arrangement. These loops may be printed on thecard in different colors, or otherwise designated, so that they mayeasily be differentiated. The periphery of the disk 6 preferably extendsbeyond the edge of the base 5 so that the disk may be turned to adesired position. The marginal circumference portion of the disk isdivided into twelve parts designated by numbers, which provide variousstarting and finishing points on the track, as will be explained below.

A cover member 9 may have the same general shape as the base member andmay be secured thereto, at the corner portions, by means of clips I0, orin any other suitable manner. As shown in Figure 1, the cover member hasa segmental cut-out area II which represents a race track. This area isarranged concentrically with the member is provided with a notch I2 inits upper edge to permit access to the circuit disk G and permit thelatter to be turned to a desired setting.

Between the cover 9 and the base 5 is provided a progress member I3,best shown in Figure 3, which is pivoted to the cover member, asindicated at I4, which is eccentric to the circuit-disk 6. The progressmember preferably extendsbeyond the lateral edge portion of the base 5and the cover 9 so that it may be rotated with respect to the disk 6. Itis shown provided with a series of outwardly extending slots I5, whoseinner portions are notched into steps designated by the Winning numbers1, 2 and 3. While a single slot is all that is required to play thegame, and will provide different results according to which of thetwelve settings on the circuit-disk is used, it is preferred to have sixor more slots of various shapes. Each of the slots may be marked at itsmarginal portion with a word to designate the condition of the imaginarytrack, such as mud, fast or some other designation.

Where more than one slot is used, it is desirable to provide a mask-diskI6 which is journalled concentrically with the progress member I3 on thepivot I4. The mask-disk has a wedge shaped cut-out portion I! which islarge enough to eX- pose only one of the slots I5 in the progress memberI3. As shown in Figure 1, the mask I6 is provided with a notch Hi toexpose the edge portion of the progress member and permit a designatedportion on the latter member to be aligned with the arrow I9 on thecover member which represents the track condition. Also, the mask isprovided with a notch 20 which permits access to the underlyingcircuit-card 6 and permits it to be adjusted for a. desired race.

In order to play the game, the mask card I6 is first turned so that thenotches I8 and 29 are exposed at the edges of the top member. The card 6is then turned until one of the numbers, at its marginal edge portion,is lined up at the center of the notch 20. This number may be selectedarbitrarily or called the particular race about to be run. For example,for the fifth race the number 5 might be turned into position. Theprogress member I3 is then rotated, in the notch I8 of the mask card,until a desired track condition setting appears, such as mud. After theplayers have designated which horses, or colors, they have picked towin, the operator grasps the two disks I3 and I6 at the lateral edge ofthe top member and rotates them together. When the cut-out I! on themask passes under the starting line of the area II on the cover member,the slot [5 will expose a short length of each of the paths printed onthe card 6. Continued rotation of the mask and progress member will showthe positions of the contestants crossing and re-crossing until theyreach the finish line. As the slot [5 in the progress member approachesthe finish line, its inner stepped portion will come into View, for thefirst time, due to its eccentric mounting, and will show which horses orcolors finished in the order of first, second and third. The game canthen be repeated, with different settings on the circuit-card and theprogress card.

It will be noted that while the race is being run, each player can seethe progress of his particular entry, or selection, with relation to theother entries from the starting post clear to the finish line. In orderto provide an equal chance for all players, it is important that theslots l5 on the progress member be carefully designed with respect tothe loop-paths on the circuitcard.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness ofunderstanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, for modifications will be obvious to those skilled in theart.

I claim:

1. Game apparatus comprising: a base member; a circuit-card, rotatablypositioned on said base member, and having a series of loop-pathsdesignated on said card and arranged to cross and re-cross each otherabout a center point; a progress member superposed on said circuit-cardand pivotally secured to said base member eccentrically of the centerpoint of the circuit-card, said progress member being adapted uponrotation to expose a curved line of progress along each path on thecircuit-card; and a. cover superposed on the assembly and having asegmental open area, arranged concentrically with the center pointof thecircuit-card to expose movement of the progress member over saidcircuit-card and provide a starting and finish line for each path.

2. Apparatus as specified in claim 1, in which the progress member is inthe form of a disk having a plurality of outwardly extending slots, anda mask disk is pivoted on the center of the progress member so as to beadjustable thereon and be rotatable therewith, said mask disk having acut-out area to expose but one selected slot on said progress member ata time.

3. Racing game apparatus comprising: a base member; a circuit-cardpivoted on said base member and having a series of loop-paths designatedon said card, each of said paths crossing and re-crossing each of theother paths about the pivot point; a cover member secured to the basemember and having a cut-out segment concentric with said pivot point;and a progress disk pivotally mounted on the cover member, eccentricallyof the pivot point of the circuit-card, said disk having an irregularlyshaped slot to expose a portion of each path on the circuit-card whenthe slot is rotated beneath the cut-out segment of the cover.

4. Apparatus as specified in claim 3, in which the progress disk isprovided with a plurality of slots, and a mask is mounted on said disk,to rotate therewith, so that any selected slot may be used.

5. A device as specified in claim 3, in which the edge of thecircuit-card is exposed near one edge of the base card to facilitate itspositioning.

6. Apparatus as specified in claim 3, in which the progress disk isprovided with a plurality of slots, and a mask is mounted on said disk,to rotate therewith, so that any selected slot may be used, said diskand mask extending beyond the edge of the base member so that both maybe grasped and rotated together.

7. Racing game apparatus comprising: a top member and base membersecured together, said top having an open segmental area to designate arace track; a card beneath said disk having circuit paths designatedthereon; and a progress disk journalled on the underside of the topmember, eccentrically of the segmental area, said disk having a slot toexpose a portion of each path as the disk is turned from one end of thearea to the other.

8. A device as, specified in claim '7, in which the slot in the progressdisk, near its center, has portions marked to designate which paths havewon the race, said portions being visible only as the slot nears thefinish line of area.

9. Racing game apparatus comprising: a top member and base membersecured together, said top having an open segmental area to designate arace track, and said base member having circuit paths designatedthereon, beneath the open area of said top member; and a progress diskjournalled on the underside of the top member, eccentrically of thesegmental area, said disk having a slotto expose a portion of each pathas the disk is turned from one end of the area to the other.

ALAN B. LE MAY.

